Table baseball



C. W. WAGNER.

TABLE BASEBALL. APPLICATION man JAN. 22. I921.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922,

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dE an 1:

INVENTOR.

CL ARENCEW WAGNER. B r

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ctaanncnwmnouennvwnem, or BRANTTFORD, oivmmo; alumna.

- a v TABLE BASEBALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14,1922.

Application filed J'anuary 22, 1921. Serial No. 439,165.

I have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Table Baseball,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in table baseball and the object ofthe invention is to devise a game in which a baseball diamond and basesmay be utilized to make the scores and it consists essentially of atable top or platform carried ona suitable structure and provided withupwardly extending walls located on the central portion thereof andarranged in diamond shape and of the table tops walls forming pathsleading to each base of the diamond, a receiving hopper into which theballs are thrown so situated that the balls discharged therefrom mayenter and follow any of the paths leading to a base, and a tiltabledischarge receptacle located above the aforesaid hopper into which theball is manually thrown and which is tilted by the player immediately itreceives the ball so as to discharge it in an uncertain direction intothe hopper as hereinaftermore particularly described by the followingspecification. 7 Fig. 1 represents a plan, view of my apparatus by whichthe game I designate as table base-ball is played.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a pers ective detail of a portion iiowing the walls formingthe diamond and the walls forming the paths leading to the base portionsaround the diamon Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of one of thepockets or cups located at each base and by which the ball is received.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate the correspondingparts in each figure. V. i

1 indicates a table the top 2 of which is provided with asurroundingwall 3; In the center of the table top slightly towards theend from which the game isplayed is located a base-ball diamond formedby flangelike walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 arranged in diamond shape. At thelocated orifices ormed, in the tabletop and which are designated 4", 5",6" and 7". To-

wards the opposite end of the table is 10-,

letter fB indicating the third base.

oints of the diamond are cated a ball receiving hopper 8 which restsupon the walls 3 of the table top. The sides of the hopper arepreferablyinclined inwar 9 is an inclined runway extending for-.

ward from the rear end of the hopper and 10 IS an lnclined runwayextending from the forward end of the hopper and overlapping the runway9 and spaced, apart therefrom at itsend so as to form an opening 11through which the balls by which the game is played pass to bedischarged through an opening 12 located between the forward end of therunway 9 and the forward wall of the hopper 8.

13. 14:, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are flange walls which extend upward from theface of the table and longitudinally thereof the rear ends of the wallsterminating slightly beyond the opening 12 of the hopper 8. The walls13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 diverge sl ghtly outward towards theiropposite end. The walls 13 and 17 terminate ata point approximatelyopposite the center of the base-ball diamond formed by the walls 1, 5 6and 7. The wall 13 isprovided with an in.- wardly inclined extension 19"which terminates opposite the forward end of the dia mond and in frontof the orifice 6*. The wall 17 is provided with an inwardly inclinedwall extension 20 which converges towards the wall 19 and terminates atthe opposite side of the orifice 6"; i i

The ends of the walls 19 and 20 are connectedtogether by a cross pieceor plate 21 on which is indicated by-the numeral 2 and the letter B thesecond base position. Between thewall extension 20 and the wall 7 of thediamond in front of the orifice 7 extends an indicating piece or plate22 on which is'inscribed the numeral 3 and the p The wall lflextends tothe outside of the orifice 5%, its forward end being connected by anindicating piece or plate 23 to the wall 6 of the diamond, suchindicating plate having inscribed thereon the numeral 1 and the letter Bindicating the first base. The walls 4; and 5 of the diamond areslightly spaced apart at their-rear ends, the spaced apart ends beingconnected together by an indicating piece or plate 2 1 having the letters HB inscribed thereon indicating home base. The walls 15 and 16extend rearwardly from theindicating piece 24 and; at each side of theorifice 4".

It will thus be seen that a path 25 is formed between the walls 15 and16 directing the ball to the home. base-orifice 45*. A path 26 is formedbetween the walls 15 and 14 leading to thefirst base orifice 5*. A path27 is formed between the walls 1% and 13.

an.d .wal1 extension 19. and diamondwall (5 leading to the second baseorifice 6*. A path 28 is formed between the wall 16 and the wall 17leading to thethird base orifice 7 andtalpath 29 formed between thewalls 17 and 18 anda path 30 formed between the wall: 18 and outer wall3 of the tabletop which lead forwardly in front of theqbaseball diamondand to'what is known as a foul line.

Between the wall 13 andouter wall 3 of the table top is formed a "path31 also lead ing to the foul line." The-foul'line may be indicated bywalls 32jand 33 which serve to stop the ball passing along either of thepaths 29, 30 or 31 so that if a ball" passes along any of these paths itrepresents a foul. I

34- are standards which extend up fromthe hopper 8 and between which istiltably mounted a small receptacle 35 which may be inthe form of abasket. 36 is a string or cord connected with the rearward portion ofthe basket or receptacle 35, such string or cord extending forwardly,the player stand: ing at theposition-A, (Fig. 2); i

In playing the game each player selects'a ball which is identified by aname or a; number or in some other suitable" way and as each playerplays he picks up the free end of the string cord 36 in one handand'throws hisball into the receptacle 35, and as it enters suchreceptacle he pullsthe cordfifi so that the receptacle 35 is tilted andthe ball ejected therefrom in an uncertain direction into the hopper 8passing through the orifices 11 and 12 onto the tabletop so as to enterone of the paths 25 to 3l'following such path either to one of the baseorifices or into thefoul position.

Ifthe ball enters the path 25' and orifice 4 the player makes a'home runat the first throw. If, however, the ballenters the path 26 and orifice5 he makes the first base. The next throw he may make-the second or thethird base or even a'home run, the num ber of home runs obtained by theplayer or team winning-the game.

In order to visibly indicate theseore inade by each ball I have providedthe following device. 37 is an indicator ofthe type'en ployed as afloorindicator in a building or room indicator 'ina dwelling in whichthe pressing of the bottom closes the. circuit through the indicatorsoasto indicatethe corresponding room or floor number.

Beneath each orifices", 5 6 and 7?- are 7 located" pocketsor cups whichare cylindri able bottom asse sment ba he .nwiemlfi The pocket or cup isprovided with a freely mov- 39 of insulating material which rests upon afinger contact 40 secured to the wall ofethefpocket or cup at oncaside'thereof. The free endof the finger contact coacts" with thestationarycontact 41 also carried by the pocket or cup 38. The finger contact d0and stationary Contact 41 are suitably insulated from theIjcup and fromthese contacts. circuit wires 42"anch43lead to the operatingmechanismofthe indicator 37'such circuit wires being energized by any suitablemeans (not shown f V It-will thus be seen that when a ball isplayed anddrops into one Off/11G pockets'tf, 5", 6 or? the movable bottom 39dQsuch'pocket isdepressed forcing the; free end of'the fin ger 40 intoengagement With tlie'stationary contact ll thereby closing the, circuitformed by the wires 42. ands?) and; operating-the indicating mechanismto visibly indicatethe I pocket which the'ball has entered. V

Fromthis 'descriptionit will beseen that I have devised a very simpleapparatus for playing table baseball. in which a certain amount of skillmay be exercised in order to so throwthe ballthat it would b directed ina certain courseandthereby provide a game in which agreat.amountotcompeth tion is provided between the players to make thegamefof particularinterest.

.lVhat I claim as mylinvention is. l. In'a game of table 7 ing a topprovided with asurrounding edge barrier, a hoppersupported above thetable top, flanged walls extending upwardly from the table top indiamond form, a pocket located beneath an orifice formedfin the tabletop at each point of the diamond, rflanged walls extending from each of'the aforesaid orifices to'beneaththe hopper to form in? tervening paths,and a pathleading to each orifice. 7 i 2. In a game, of table baseball,a. table, walls extending upwardly from the surface of the table andarranged in thepoints of the diamond representing the base positions;and a'path leadinglongitudinally from eachof thehase positions towardsthe opposite end of the. table and terminatat a pointintermediately ofits length.

base-ball, a'table havdia 'nond form n 3. In a game of table base-ball.a1table, I

walls extending upwardly surface from. the upper resentingthebasepositions,andapath leading from, each ofthe base'positionslongitudinally towards the. opposite end f" the 1 m xt ic uwsfli were ia

